Support



July 12, 1938` w. J. coMBs ET AL SUPPORT Filed Jan. 2l, 1938 l WZZfZ/m Combs attentati girly H.

William J.

Combs and @scar 0. Mann, tterbein. lind y Application January 21,. 1938, Serial No. 186,216 i Ii'fhis invention relates lto the art of removable supports or posts .and its object is to provide a support or post that may be easily replaced and quickly and easily removed from its position, such. removal in no way impairing thestability of the post assembly,

Another object is toprovide a removable post assembly having a iixed socket portionand a removable upper portion with the socket portion of such construction as will not easily or readily nbecome clogged with dirt or other matter, and with the socket portion of such construction that when the upper portion is removed the socket will not offer any obstruction to traiiic or to other vehicles passing thereover. i

A still further object is to provide a post assembly with means for locking the portions oi'l the assembly together.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description which follows:

Referring to the accompanying drawing which is made a part hereof and on which the same reference character refers to the same or corre-f' sponding part thruout,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation oi the device showing the upper and lower parts of the post separated, l i

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the post assembly with the parts together,

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view showing a modied form of upper post portion, in the form of an H or an I beam with a cap having an opening corresponding to the cross section of the upper portion, and

Figure 5 is a still further modied form showing a locking and positioning means for the upper post portion.

In the' drawing numeral il) indicates a lower or socket portion of the post assembly which is adapted to be driven into the ground or 4set in cement when this is desired. To facilitate drivig the socket into 1 the ground the lower end is sharpened as shown at il. A cap it is screw threaded or votherwise secured on the upper Aend of the socket portion. The cap is provided withan opening il having the shape oi a cross section of the upper post portion M. The upper portion is provided with holes to secure bolts or other fastening means by which a sign or other object' carried by the post is attached. V

An opening it is provided at the lower -end of the socket portion to serve as a drain. It is so positioned 'that little dirt will be forced into the socket when this socket isdriven into the ground.

(Cl. 18S-26) In the modified form of the'device shown-.in

Figure 4- the upper post portion i9 is shown as an 'H or an I beam and the openings I8 in the cap portion i1 are shaped to correspond to a cross section ofthe post portion It.

Other suitable shapes may be used so that strength of the post portion may bemaintained without greatly addingv to the weight of the post.

It should be `apparent from the invention as described that a post assembly is provided in l0 which the upper portion may be removed and i to fall into the socket portion of the post. The 20 little that does fall into the socket will not interfere;

In Figure 5 is shown a form of the device in which the4 cap portion is more easily removed from the socket portion and 'yet one in which this cap cannot 'be removed when the upper portion is held in place.

lin this form of the invention the socket portion 23 `is provided with a threaded opening 2l adapted to receive the threaded end of an eye screw 25 which passes thru an opening 26 in the cylindrical portion of the cap 21. The opening 2t preferably is madel considerably larger than the screw threaded opening 24 so as to render assembly of the parts easier. The slight rotary displacement oi' the head or cap with respect to the lsocket portion due to the larger opening 26 will not cause any serious disadvantage.

IThe upper portion of the post 28 is provided with spaced openings 29 adapted to receive a 40 lock 30'. This lock is preferably connected by means of a. chain 3| with the head of the eye screw 25. The lock may be fastened in any one of the several holes 29 so as to position the upper post portion at any desired height. The Weight of the post portion it rests -upon the shank of' the lock. It will be apparent also that since the chain 3i is relatively short it will prevent the post from being lifted out of the socket. Since the end of the chain 3l' isl attached to the head of the eye 4screw 25 it prevents rotation of this screw, thereby -making it impossible to remove the cap from the socket portion when the upper portion is lcked in position.

There are many uses to which this invention may be put. One oi' the important uses is as a post for supporting signs along highways. y With the ordinary signs it is diiiicult to mow the grass along the roadway. In order to cut the grass around the sign posts it h as to be done by hand. Usually it is left uncut thus leaving unsightly spots along the roadway. With our device the posts bearing the sign may be removed, the ground cut over and the post replaced without any delay or interference with the work. In winter snow removing machines are usually used to remove the snow from the roadway. This snow is frequently shoved well over the sides of the roadway. Signs along the roadway often interfere with removal of this snow. With our device there will be no interference with the work. The upper posts can be removed, the machines pass over with no interference. The small slits in the top of the caps will permit little snow to fall into the sockets so that the upper portions of the posts can readily be replaced after the ground has been cleared of the snow.

Among the posts often found along the road sides are mail boxes. Our invention furnishes an especially useful support for mail boxes for it not from the description and the drawing forming,

the disclosure of the invention.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to` which this invention pertains that many changes may be made in the device without departing from the essence thereof, we therefore do not limit ourselves to the invention as shown and as specifically described but only as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A support comprising a lower socket portion having a cap removably secured thereon, and having an angular slot in its upper end, a loadbearing post having an angular cross section of the same shape as the said angular slot, said post being extended thru said slot into the interior of the said socket, means for securing the said cap on the said socket portion, means for positioning the said post vertically in the said socket portion, and means cooperating with said last named means for preventing removal of the said cap-securing means.

2. A support comprising a socket portion having a cap thereon, said cap having an angular slot therein, a post passing thru said slot Iand extending down into said socket portion, means for vertically positioning said post in said socket portion, means for removably securing said cap on said socket portion,means for locking said post against displacement from said slot and means cooperatively associated with said locking means for preventing removal of the said cap securing means. y

3. A post assembly comprising a socket portion having a removable cap thereon. said cap having an angular slot in its end, a post passing thru said slot and extending into the said socket portion. said post having a plurality of verticallyspaced openings adapted to receive means for supporting the post in adjusted vertical position, a lock adapted to be positioned in one of said openings, the said socket portion having threaded opening adjacent its upper end, the said cap having an opening adapted to register with the said threaded opening in the socket, a screw adapted to pass thru the opening in the cap and be threaded into the said screw threaded opening in the socket, and means for attaching the said lock to the said screw whereby the said screw is secured against removal when the said lock is 

